PICRIC ACID

Picric acid, also known as Tri-Nitro-Phenol, or T.N.P., is a military explosive that is most often used as a booster charge to set off another less sensitive explosive, such as T.N.T. It another explosive that is fairly simple to make, assuming that one can acquire the concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids. Its procedure for manufacture is given in many college chemistry lab manuals, and is easy to follow. The main problem with picric acid is its tendency to form dangerously sensitive and unstable picrate salts, such as potassium picrate. For this reason, it is usually made into a safer form, such as ammonium picrate, also called explosive D. A social deviant would probably use a formula similar to the one presented here to make picric acid.

1) Place 9.5 grams of phenol into the 500 ml flask, and carefully add 12.5 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid and stir the mixture.

2) Put 400 ml of tap water into the 1000 ml beaker or boiling container and bring the water to a gentle boil.

3) After warming the 500 ml flask under hot tap water, place it in the boiling water, and continue to stir the mixture of phenol and acid for about thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, take the flask out, and allow it to cool for about five minutes.

4) Pour out the boiling water used above, and after allowing the container to cool, use it to create an ice bath, similar to the one used in section 3.13, steps 3-4. Place the 500 ml flask with the mixed acid an phenol in the ice bath. Add 38 ml of concentrated nitric acid in small amounts, stirring the mixture constantly. A vigorous but “harmless” reaction should occur. When the mixture stops reacting vigorously, take the flask out of the ice bath.

5) Warm the ice bath container, if it is glass, and then begin boiling more tap water. Place the flask containing the mixture in the boiling water, and heat it in the boiling water for 1.5 to 2 hours.

6) Add 100 ml of cold distilled water to the solution, and chill it in an ice bath until it is cold.

7) Filter out the yellowish-white picric acid crystals by pouring the solution through the filter paper in the funnel. Collect the liquid and dispose of it in a safe place, since it is corrosive.

8) Wash out the 500 ml flask with distilled water, and put the contents of the filter paper in the flask. Add 300 ml of water, and shake vigorously.

9) Re-filter the crystals, and allow them to dry.

10) Store the crystals in a safe place in a glass container, since they will react with metal containers to produce picrates that could explode spontaneously.

— Posted by irish man on 3:35 pm on Mar. 22, 2002

u can make it iswell out of aspirin but im not to sure how to do it

— Posted by Zambosan on 3:44 pm on Mar. 22, 2002

HELLO…. this is a discussion forum. The archives are for posting information like this, and I don’t recall anyone asking for the synthesis of RDX or TNP. And at any rate, the ASA/H2SO4/KNO3 process is a lot more useful to anyone without access to chemical reagents. I sure hope someone whacks these threads. :angry:

— Posted by Zero the Inestimable on 8:04 pm on Mar. 24, 2002

I don’t see anything wrong with it, other than the fact that Trowe keeps copying things out of the Terrorists Handbook without giving credit (or warning) where it is due.

~Zero the Inestimable

— Posted by trowe on 9:05 pm on Mar. 24, 2002

Sorry bout that, not posting the origin. didnt know where it came from cause a dikhead buddy of mine took all the info about what it was and said he made it. i knew he didnt make it, but didnt know where he got it from. thnx man.

— Posted by chemical rxn on 12:50 am on Mar. 26, 2002

Picric acid seems like fun but it is very dangerous. The slightest impact may set it off. I would not advice making it unless you have experience in chemistry and laboratory techniques. Eventhen it is still very dangerous. There are many other things to make and have fun with. Don’t be careless.

— Posted by Zambosan on 10:45 am on Mar. 26, 2002

No dammit, picric acid is a booster explosive and is only slightly more sensitive than TNT, which is not very. It only becomes sensitized if it reacts with metals to form picrate salts, which are primaries.

phenol is a white toxic crystalline compound used as laboratory reagent.

does that help you in any way?

— Posted by chroniccrescent on 12:13 pm on Mar. 26, 2002

u said to him to post it in the archives, how do u post sumthin in there, i have tried to do so b4

— Posted by chemical rxn on 10:26 pm on Mar. 26, 2002

Picric acid is sensitive to shock and is more dangerous than you give credit

— Posted by Zambosan on 12:44 pm on Mar. 27, 2002

Um, I’ve made and used the shit (in my dreams, of course 🙂 ). If you beat on it like a motherfucker it will detonate, but you can burn it (it will deflagrate at a reasonable rate), and handle it normally without too much concern. It’s not a primary, that ought to tell you something… like “the slightest impact” will *not* set it off. Even AN may detonate if you drop a car off a building onto it, that doesn’t mean it’s “sensitive”.